bcdavis

Congratulations!

How's the interior coming along?

Hoyo

Hello Pierre.

Having been a follower on Your project since it started, I was just wondering....If You and Gavin are thinking about selling "kits" for the 928, I can see the need for fiberglass kits when on the track and competing....but...if /or when You guys are eventually ready to get into the aftermarket modifications for the 928, why not get an all steel modification? I would think, not knowing better ofcourse, that in Africa there are places where You could get the steel modifications done for a resonable price.

I met a guy here this past weekend with a '72 Pantera that had the Group 4 modification done in all steel, done in the US. It seems to me that the 928 market is somewhat larger than the Pantera market.....not that I am putting down on the Pantera's, it's one of my favorite cars.

Myself ??..I am everyday planning the modification on my '79 928 that has been sitting in my garage pretty much unused for the past 3 years.
I think Your setup is by far the greatest look for this car that I have seen around.....but I really would like a steel modification.

Geir

sublimate

Why add the weight of steel? Plenty of high-end cars are made of composite materials (the CGT for example) and for small production runs it's by far the most cost effective. But if you're going to spend the money for metal, at least make it Aluminum.

Hoyo

or aluminum modification....

Geir

bcdavis

Yeah... Steel would be fine if the 928's panels weren't made out of alluminum!

The body needs to be strong, but the outer skin should be lightweight.
It's a lot easier to make a mold and lay fiberglass, than it is to make a mold
for pressing steel... And requires a lot more heavy equipment to operate
the press. Making a one-off body out of steel is done all the time by
hot rodders. But not mass produced... Fiberglass is the way to go if
you want to make a lot of body parts. And as people mentioned,
steel will just add weight to the 928, since the panels are already
lightweight aluminum...

Hoyo

Alright fellas..

I know that doors and front fenders are aluminum....But ...I am under the impression that the rear fenders/quarters are all steel, correct me if i'm wrong.

I was trying to locate my Jim cd to find out.... But... my better half have "sorted" out my things for me and thereby the cd is a goner for now.

On the other hand...I'll even take steel fenders over fiberglass.

Geir

sublimate

Can I correct you if you're right too?
Yes, the rear quarters, roof, and rear hatch are all steel.
But what do you have against composite material (I use that instead of fiberglass because I thought they were going to make it from carbon fibre, not glass fiber)? If done right it'll last longer than steel (no rust) and repair easier after an accident.

bcdavis

(And the hood...)

The main problem is mass production.

I understand that fiberglass can have problems that steel and aluminum don't have.

But imagine the process for stamping out an entire fender out of steel or aluminum.
It requires a huge press, and two huge metal forms to sandwich the metal between.

If you just want some simple steel fender flares, Devek has those.
But if you want something elaborate, with unique lines, etc, you have to use fiberglass.
Especially if you are talking about mass production for sale.
The ease and cost considerations alone makes the idea unlikely to happen.
It's a hell of a lot easier and cheaper to use fiberglass.
That's why so many import body kits only cost a couple hundred dollars
for the entire body kit.

If you want a steel body for your 928, find a hot rod shop, and they can
do it for you. But it won't be cheap. And if you get in an accident, they
will need to start from scratch, and repair the damage. If you get in
an accident with a fiberglass fender, you can just bolt on a new one.

There are benefits to steel, but there are many other benefits to fiberglass.
Considering the 928 already weighs a lot, I am sure even street 928s
would be happy to use the lightest material possible. And that is not
going to be steel.

Fabio421

I agree with Victor. Carbon Fibre is the way to go IMHO. Metal body parts, whether they be steel or aluminum will be much more expensive. The dies alone to try to stamp them would be cost prohibitive. Th alternative would be to hand roll the panels and that takes alot of know how and man hours. Its not impossible but it would price the kit out of reach of most everyone here. Boyd Coddington sold a completely custom car, with all hand rolled body panels at auction a few months ago. It sold for more than $500,000 .

Hoyo

I agree...composite materials are just great....and so is fibreglass...i was just thinking out loud about the steel products..and I still think steel and aluminum is great.

geir.

Pierre Martins

So what do you do when your long-term project finally comes home after spending more than 3 years in various workshops...?

Well, If you're like me... you strip it down again and start cleaning / detailing things...

Abby Normal

Man the hoses and fittings look great! The rest of the car does too, but those hoses really make the engine compartment look "trick"

Great Job!

Pierre Martins

This is the *before* photo -

Pierre Martins

Thanks Abby, I just wish I could find a suitable replacement for the crappy radiator reservoir. It's all yellow and tacky...

Hoyo

Looks great.
How is the bodywork coming along?

Geir